Dan Merrill - Roofing - Home Improvement/Repair - Home/Garden

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Expert Profile: Dan Merrill

Expertise: We are a "green" roofing company. We offer information and advice on metal and synthetic cedar, tile, and slate roofing products. We also address good, sound installation practices for lifetime and slate roof installations. Generally speaking, we are experienced with any materials that have 50 year or longer, expected lifespan, such as copper, terne coated steels, Kynar painted Steel, Aluminum, etc. We do extensive Infrared scans of homes with water leaks, moisture damage, air leakage, etc. So we have a good practical knowledge of what works and what does not work in the long term. We offer no advice on asphalt or fiberglass roofing products.

Experience in the area
Was a hobbyist/home remodeler for over 30 years. Restored over 30 homes. After retiring from engineering (27 years), I studied materials and installation practices of high-end roofing materials. This information was tempered by my engineering experience. We have developed and sell roofing "kits" to roofing contractors who do not have the time to research rarely used roofing products. We ensure that they have all the required materials, tools and information to offer their customers a solid 50 year installation.

Organizations
National Association of Home Builders Fox Valley Builders Assoc. Illinois Association of Home Builders Remodelers Council of NAHB Metal Roofing Alliance EnergyStar provider U.S. Green Builder Council Better Business Bureau

Publications
Our websites www.ecowiseinc.com and www.chicagometalroofing.com, Fox Tails, publication of the Fox Valley Builders Association

Education/Credentials
Tech certificate in Mechanical Drafting, 1978. Self-taught Engineer. Many certificates held. Have achieved NAHB "Certified Graduate Remodeler" designation. Graduate of Green Builder College. Licensed, insured & Bonded Roofer in Illinois.

Awards and Honors
Holder of many Patents, Member of Mensa

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What do you like about this subject? Being able to greatly improve the curb appeal of a home by properly installing the roof appropriate for the design of the home.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field? Educate the public about the huge benefits of metal roofing, such as saving energy & no maintenance. You do not have to send huge dumpsters full of waste to a landfill every 15-20 years. A metal roof life is measured by decades & centuries. Some metal roofs "only" last 50+ years, some of the exotics last for centuries!

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know: Metal roofing has been used in this country for over 200 years! There are many examples of metal roofing still being servicable even after 100 to 200 years!

Something controversial or provocative about this subject Cedar roofs are not "green", not even close. The old growth trees are gone, all that is left is fast growing, low density cedar trees. They are commonly 1/3 or 1/4 the weight of the old growth shingles. The average lifespan of a cedar roof today in the Midwest is 12-18 years. Asphalt roofing warranties? We are often asked "why did my "40 year" asphalt roof only last 6 (or 7 or 8, etc) years?".

Average Ratings
Prestige Points: 2930
Knowledge	9.89 Best of the best
Clarity of Response	9.87 Best of the best
Timeliness	9.80 Best of the best
Politeness	9.98 Best of the best
Number Of Questions Today (GMT time)		0
Max Questions to be Asked (Per Day, in GMT time)		2
Total Questions (since joining AllExperts)		356

Recent Reviews from Users

Knowl	Clarity	Time	Politeness	Date
10	10	10	10	07/03/09
9	10	9	10	06/24/09
10	10	10	10	05/29/09
10	8	10	10	04/13/09
10	10	10	10	04/12/09

User Comments

Dan Merrill is exceptionally knowledgeable and has given me so many excellent suggestions. I would have never thought about having a company's repres
(Juliette on 07/03/09)

Dan, Thanks for your quick response. Your solution sounds workable however our manufacturer does not offer a boot as you suggest so I'll have to look
(Larry on 05/29/09)

Thanks for the very timely and detailed reply, great info and I am going to go with a metal roof!
(sarah on 04/12/09)

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Recent Answers from Dan Merrill

2009-07-03 installation: Because of the way the EnviroShake is manufactured, they are fairly consistent in color and aging qualities. Even though this is true, they still recommend that the shingles are shuffled from bundle to...

2009-06-30 metal clad polyiso: We have not used these types of panels yet. But we have done several of the SIPs panel projects. The problem with the ISO sandwiches is that they do not allow the roofing material to radiate any of the...

2009-06-30 metal clad polyiso: The IRC code does not require a tear off of a single layer of Asphalt shingles if you are installing a metal roof. But please check with your local code enforcement office to verify. Some building departments...

2009-06-28 installation: Enviroshake is approved for installation of spaced board (roof lath) construction, it does not require plywood. Assuming your home was built to code, you would not get any real benefit from adding a plywood...

2009-06-28 Enviroshake vs EcoStar et al: The company has been around for at least 10 years in it's present form. It's founder developed the product over years of testing and constant improvements before that. The present factory is is high-tech...